In an interview about the special counsel’s report, Rep. John Ratcliffe said that what “started all of this” was “a fake, phony dossier.” But a House Republican intelligence committee memo said it was information about a Trump campaign foreign policy adviser that sparked the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation into Russian interference in the election.
The Democrats on the House intelligence committee agreed with that, saying in a memo released Feb. 24, 2018, that the FBI investigation started “more than seven weeks” before the FBI received Steele’s intelligence reporting in mid-September of that year.
... Last week, Justice Department inspector general Michael Horowitz released a long-awaited 434-page report, which found that the FBI team that conducted Crossfire Hurricane — the code name for the bureau’s investigation into links between the Trump campaign and the Russian government — improperly relied too heavily on allegations made by Christopher Steele, a former British spy hired by an opposition research firm working for the Hillary Clinton campaign....
Comey and Wallace sparred over the Steele dossier's role in the FBI's investigation and FISA application.
Before Trump was sworn into office, a leaked and unverified 35-page dossier compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele alleged the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to defeat Clinton in 2016 presidential election. It later became one of the starting points of Robert Mueller’s investigation.
Comey said the so-called “Steele dossier” was "not a huge part of the presentation to the court," but Wallace pointed out that according to the inspector general’s report, it played a central role in establishing probable cause for an investigation and FISA warrants.
“In fact, he says, if it hadn't been for the Steele dossier, the FBI probably would haven't even submitted a FISA application,” Wallace said, referring to Horowitz.
“I’m not sure he and I are saying different things,” Comey responded. “What his report says is that the FBI thought it was a close call until they got the Steele report, put that additional information in and that tipped it over to be probable cause. It’s a long FISA application and includes Steele material and a lot of other things. I don’t think we’re saying different things.” ...
